A credit score is a measurement to determine your credit worthiness, and we should all strive to keep ours as HIGH as possible. This means managing our payments, watching our credit card balances, and not frivolously applying for new credit.
However, certain seemingly innocent actions can result in credit score decreases. Do you recognize yourself as having any of these “conditions”?The “I gotta have it-ache”. A new fishing rod, a great pair of heels, a beach vacation. We all have the budget breaking Achilles heel. While splurging every now and then won’t be detrimental, a habit of treating yourself to everything that catches your eye can damage your credit score. Overspending can result in maxed out credit cards, which can lower your credit score (remember, credit utilization accounts for 30% of your score). Another result of over-extending can be not being able to pay your bills on time. If you begin paying bills late, your credit score will definitely pay the price.The “I’ll worry about it tomorrow-itis”. Procrastinating on making a budget or delaying facing your mounting bills is a sure fire way to sink your credit score. A few missed payments along with a few bad purchases can cause a mess that will take you months (or YEARS) to recover from.The “I can’t miss a deal-phobia”. 20% off if you open a credit card! Ends today! If either of these speaks to you, this may be a problem. Department stores often offer discounts for opening a new credit card, and these show up on your credit report as an inquiry. Too many of these can have a very negative effect on your credit score.The “It will work itself out-flu”. Collection calls, liens, lates, OH MY! These are credit score tankers and they need to be dealt with thisveryminute! There is a chance that they are erroneous, and could be removed from your credit report with a little effort on your part. Letting them linger on your credit report will send you straight out of 700 and 800land into 600 or 500ville. And nobody wants to live there.The best remedies to get and keep a high credit score?Think about your purchases. Being impulsive with money is going to lead you down a debt-ridden path. If the object of your desire costs more than 1% of your monthly income, think about it for at least 24 hours and figure out how you are going to pay for it.Always keep your budget on your mind. Write out a monthly budget so that you know how much extra money you can spend every month. This will keep you making your payments on time and your debt manageable.Just say no to marketing. Don’t be swayed to buy something or open credit lines you don’t need because of a great sale or discount. If you weren’t looking for it before you walked into the store, chances are you can live without it, no matter how great the ‘deal’. Your financial future is more important than saving a few bucks.Keep your head out of the sand. Big credit problems such as collections and liens will not vanish by themselves. Make sure you are checking your credit report regularly. Never assume that creditors will realize they have made a mistake and then take steps to correct it on their own. Jump in and get any erroneous information handled immediately.
The health of your credit score depends largely on your ability to control your impulses when shopping. Keeping a handle on spending and seeing your big financial picture will help keep your credit score healthy and in top form.

~~Susan McCullah is the Product Development Director for Data Facts, a 22 year old Memphis-based company that provides mortgage product solutions to lenders nationwide.

To all you consumers who pay your credit card balances in full every month; good for you!

Not carrying a balance on a credit card is one of the best financial maneuvers you can make for yourself. This ensures that you won’t rack up expensive finance charges, nor will you find yourself deep in credit card debt.

However, if you are using your credit cards, your credit report may still show a balance, even if you pay it in full.
What??
The answer is simple. Creditors only report and bureaus (Experian, Transunion, and Equifax) only update your accounts once a month, but not necessarily on the first of the month.

For example:
You charge $2000 on your Visa. The bureaus may have updated their records on the 25th. You pay it in full on the 1st of the month. If you pulled your credit report before the bureaus updated again, the $2000 balance would show up on your credit report and impact your credit score.
Now remember, balances make up 30% of your credit score, so this little process could cost you lots of points if you don’t manage it beforehand.

Here are 3 points to remember:
–know your limit. Your credit card limit is an important piece of knowledge when managing your credit score. Be sure you are aware of the limit of each and every credit card in your possession.-keep the ratio low. Never at any time charge more than 30% of your credit card limit. This is known as ‘credit utilization’. If you have a Mastercard with a $10,000 limit, never at any time should you have a balance greater than $3,000. Charging more than this could decrease your credit score. If you need to charge more than 30% throughout the month, it is better to increase your credit limit or charge it on more than one credit card, thereby keeping the credit utilization low.-remember there is no way to know when creditors report to the bureaus. Creditors send their consumer information to the bureaus at different times throughout the month, so there is no set time that your credit report will ‘update’.Paying your credit card balance in full every month is fabulous for your financial (and mental) health. Taking these extra steps and managing your balances throughout the month will help you greatly in maintaining the very best credit score available to you.

~~Susan McCullah is the Product Development Director for Data Facts, a 22 year old Memphis-based company that provides mortgage product solutions to lenders nationwide.